I Want to Know What Love Is
by That Guy Who Ships Niff
Summary: Set in season 4; Rory is the new kid at McKinley High and Sam is the BMOC, but Rory finds him fascinating and begins to fall for him. Meanwhile, Ryder finds himself falling for an oblivious Rory. Mainly Sory, with traces of one-sided Ryory and other couples.


_**A/N**_: For some reason, I felt bad because I haven't written a Sory fic in like forever, so I started writing this. It's set in season 4.

* * *

Rory Flanagan walked into William McKinley High that first day and immediately found himself shoved into a locker. From his face pressed against the cold metal, all he could hear was cruel laughter. He straightened the strap on his bookbag and ran a hand through his unkempt brown hair. The one he had guessed to be his attacker was a tall, muscular blond boy, who was flanked by two other boys.

"Hey, are you okay?" a soft voice asked. Rory looked over to see a brunet about his height offering his hand. Rory smiled and accepted the gesture. "I'm Ryder."

"Rory." Rory sighed and cracked his neck. "I've been here two minutes and I'm already a target. It's so much like my old school."

"I heard there was an exchange student coming," Ryder said. "I take it you're him." Rory nodded. "That's cool. I was on my way to Glee club. You want to come with?" The Irish boy bit his lip and followed Ryder into a room where a bunch of other kids were already convened. Rory looked around at the others: a tall blonde girl was talking to her phone, a shorter blonde was plucking her eyebrows and watching herself through a compact mirror, a boy in a wheelchair was practicing guitar chords, and a boy with really curly hair was chatting animatedly with an Asian girl with blue streaks in her hair.

"Where's Finn?" Ryder asked. The blonde looked up from her mirror.

"Probably getting the lipo he so desperately needs," she said, studying her nails.

"Finn's a good guy, a little clueless sometimes, but he's taken good care of us since Mr. Schue went to Washington," the curly-haired boy piped up defensively.

"You're just saying that because he's your future stepbrother-in-law," the girl sneered.

"Kurt and I broke up, remember?" the curly-haired boy snapped, turning red.

"Oh yeah, I remember now, because you cheated on him."

"Who tells you these things?"

"I'm a gossipy bitch. I hear things. Who's the new kid? Some kind of leprechaun?"

"Guys, this is Rory, he's from Ireland," Ryder introduced Rory, who waved shyly. "Rory, this is Blaine, Tina, Brittany, Artie, and Kitty. I don't know where everyone else is."

"Puckerman's around here somewhere," Kitty said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he were hiding in some closet with Roseanne, trying to hide their love affair. As for Buffalo Bill, he's probably forcing someone to put the lotion in the basket."

"Kitty's kind of a bitch," Ryder whispered to Rory.

"I noticed," Rory said. "So should I audition?"

"Hey, guys." A tall man in a plaid shirt walked into the room.

"Finn, I found a new kid who wants to audition," Ryder called. "Rory, this is Finn. Finn, this is Rory." Rory awkwardly shook the man's hand and smiled before moving over to the middle of the room.

"_Got a job_

_That's okay_

_But they got me workin' night and day_

_Punchin' in, punchin' out_

_Is this really what life's all about?_

_What you gonna do? What you gonna feel? I don't know_

_What you gonna feel? What you gonna do? Ooh, won't someone tell me?_

_What you gonna say? What you gonna do? There's only one thing left to do_

_What you wanna do? What you wanna say? Ooh_

"_C'est la vie (c'est la vie)_

_That's just the way it goes (that's life)_

_Oh yeah_

_C'est la vie (c'est la vie)_

_That's just the way it goes (that's life)_"

The present members of the Glee club cheered and Rory grinned.

"Well, Rory, welcome to the New Directions," Finn said. Ryder clapped Rory on the back as he sat down.

* * *

Rory walked out of the choir room half an hour later and started walking towards his first period biology class (Ryder had to hurry, but he gave Rory directions). The bell rang and everyone was already in their classrooms while Rory still scanned the hallways. He heard laughter and followed the sound to a darker part of the corridor, where he saw the three boys from earlier bullying a tall, skinny Latino boy.

"What are you gonna do, dork, huh?" the blond boy sneered, pushing his victim against the locker.

"Just please leave me alone, Sam," the boy whispered, turning scarlet.

"Aw, look at that, guys. He's saying please. You must've been raised right, Lopez, especially in that shitty part of town you're from."

"You don't know anything about where I'm from, so shut up," the boy hissed. "I'm through talking to you like a normal person, Sam Evans. You're nothing but a worthless prick." The blond jock looked at the fuming Latino boy in shock. "Do you know who my cousin is? She will cut you."

"I'm so scared," Evans scoffed. "You really think some girl can take me on? Look at me, if I can beat the crap of some fucking loser like you, I can take on the world."

Rory had had enough of watching the boy get picked on and walked over, grabbing the blond boy's shoulder.

"Leave him alone," he said.

"Well, what's this? Some new kid sticking up for the resident loser? This is rich," Evans laughed. Rory suddenly found himself slammed against the locker next to the Latino boy. "What are you going to do if I don't?"

Feeling braver than he actually was, Rory shoved the jock away from him and braced himself for a fight. Evans looked at him wide-eyed and raised his fist, making Rory flinch.

"Dude, you can't beat on the new kid yet," one of Evans' crones said. "Give him a few days and he'll learn who's boss."

"Fine." Evans relented and lowered his fist. "But I'm only giving you two days to figure it out, loser, got it?" Rory nodded and Evans shoved him to the floor before walking away with his friends.

"Thanks for trying to stand up for me," the Latino boy said, extending a hand. "I'm Eric, Eric Lopez."

"Rory Flanagan." Rory accepted the gesture and smiled.

"That's Sam Evans; he's quarterback on the football team and captain of the wrestling team. Being that makes him think he rules over all of us," Eric explained. "He's really just some insecure douche who needs to get knocked down a peg or two…or five."

"Do you know where Room 237 is?" Eric smiled and slung an arm over Rory's shoulder.

"This way."


End file.
